GC Diversity and Inclusion Editorial
We began our survey of European GCs and other leading in-house legal figures by posing the question ‘Do you think that the legal team has a role to play in promoting diversity and inclusion in the wider organisation?’ Our respondents – from organisations of all sizes, running the gamut of industry sectors across Europe – overwhelmingly felt that it does, with 71% voting yes.
Those surveyed cited compliance as a driver, but this was deemed of secondary importance to the sense that D&I was a business critical issue and, as such, should be taken up by the legal team as a leadership priority rather than a legal one. The positioning of legal heads within the upper tiers of corporate management, with an attendant responsibility for D&I, was remarked upon again and again. Nevertheless, as one participant pointed out, the legal aspect can play a practical role in enforcing the message of D&I: ‘[in-house lawyers] are more acutely aware of legal cases that hit the headlines, and therefore know the impact, financially and reputationally, of any poor practice.’
